Concealed carry reciprocity necessary

The crazy quilt of concealed carry reciprocity laws among states too easily snares law-abiding gun owners in needless confusion and possible legal hassles. Texas Sen. John Cornyn has just the legislation to fix the mess.

"Each state decides which permits from other states it recognizes as lawful, and some recognize none," reminds Emily Miller of The Washington Times. Mr. Cornyn's Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act would resolve that problematic situation by requiring all states to honor all other states' concealed carry permits.

"It's like a driver's license," said the Texas Republican. "It doesn't trump state laws. Say you have a carry permit in Texas; then you use it in another state that has a concealed carry law."

Cornyn's bill would keep law-abiding permit holders from falling victim to what he calls the tendency of some states "to play 'gotcha.'"

Miller cites the outrageous case of a Florida man held for three hours at a traffic stop while Maryland police searched his car - because records showed he had a concealed carry permit. He didn't have a gun with him and wasn't even cited for a traffic violation.

And why should a traveler going from, say, Pennsylvania to North Carolina via Ohio be forced to secure that weapon in a different fashion in the Buckeye State?

With all 50 states now allowing concealed carry - Illinois, forced last year by federal courts, was the last to do so - this is an ideal time to bring full reciprocity to America's concealed carry laws.

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Concealed carry reciprocity necessary

The crazy quilt of concealed carry reciprocity laws among states too easily snares law-abiding gun owners in needless confusion and possible legal hassles. Texas Sen. John Cornyn has just the